Mets manager Terry Collins returns to Anaheim a changed man

Nearly 15 years have passed since Terry Collins resigned as the manager of the Angels, and on the day he tearfully walked away from a fractured clubhouse that turned on him, Collins felt he’d lost much more than just the support of an underachieving team and a job he loved.

He thought he lost any chance to manage in the big leagues again.

But times change, people mellow, attitudes adjust and memories fade.

And when Collins stepped foot inside Anaheim Stadium on Friday, he did so more than just the manager of the New York Mets — who gave Collins a second chance 12 years after his devastating ending with the Angels.

He returned a changed man.

“I’m a completely different guy than I was 15 years ago,” Collins said. “A lot more mellower, and I feel, a much better communicator than I was back then.”

Make no mistake, Collins is every bit as competitive and driven as he was as the Angels manager from 1997 to 1999. He’s meticulous, passionate, prepared and wants to win as much today as he did then.

But with age and wisdom comes understanding and improvement, and the Collins of 2014 is considerably less maniacal than the fiery manager whose 24/7 intensity wore on his players.

More importantly, he’s more aware and a better communicator than he was in 1999 when, so wrapped up in the day-to-day grind of a season he missed sign after sign after sign that his team was coming apart at the seams, splintered by various clubhouse clichés, a growing resentment for high-priced newcomer Mo Vaughn and chaffing under the pressure of their ultra-intense manager.

And by the time Collins did realize how dire things truly were, it was too late — he’d lost the clubhouse. Collins, aware the damage was permanent, reluctantly stepped aside in early September.

Looking back, Collins blames himself for not paying more attention the vibe of his clubhouse. His biggest mistake was not communicating enough with his players to get a better sense of the club’s temperature.

Something he now consistently does with the Mets.

Hamilton has surgery

Josh Hamilton had successful surgery Friday on his left thumb, the Angels announced, and is expected to be out six to eight weeks.

Initial reports that Hamilton would have surgery came into question, but Dr. Steven Shin gave the outfielder a final determination on Friday that surgery was necessary.

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Hamilton, who led the Angels with a .444 batting average and two home runs when he was injured, suffered a complete tear of the ulnar collateral ligament to his left thumb sliding head first into first base in Seattle on Tuesday.

“We went through stretches where we’ve had really successful years losing some of our big guys for up to two months at a time, so you have to be able to absorb it and I think we have the type of offense that should be able to absorb it,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “We will lose obviously that depth, that big left-handed bat in the middle of your lineup, but we’ll keep going.”

No lefties in ’pen

The good news is that Angels reliever Dane De La Rosa, who led the team with 75 appearances last season, was activated Friday night for the first time this season.

The bad news is after optioning Nick Maronde to Triple-A Albuquerque to make room for De La Rosa, the Angels no longer have a left-hander in the bullpen.

Nevertheless, the trade appears to be a good one for the Angels considering De La Rosa is coming off a breakout 2013 season during which he went 6-1 with a 2.86 ERA. He strained his forearm in spring training March 6 and hopes to bolster a bullpen with a collective 5.63 ERA ranked 25th in baseball entering Friday.

“It’s just going to take a couple outings in a row,” De La Rosa said of the bullpen, “and we’ll take off.”